As I mentioned a couple days ago (click here to read part one), Carolyn McCulley, Media Specialist for Sovereign Grace Ministries, and author of Did I Kiss Marriage Good-bye?, will be leading a workshop on singleness at True Woman ’08. Let’s ask her a couple more questions:
What would you say to the woman who has a deep longing to be a wife and mother, which God has not (yet) chosen to fulfill?
1. Bless you for desiring a good and godly thing. That goes against the grain of many quarters of our culture.
2. What you can see of your circumstances is not all that God is doing. God may not meet your deadline, but that doesn’t mean He will never fulfill this desire.
3. Whom can you love with the love of God right now?
4. Keep praying and petitioning God about your desires, but also keep surrendering your life without reservation to your Creator, Savior, Lord. God has already met your greatest need—to be spared from His wrath and judgment for your sin.
5. Invest yourself in Christ’s Bride, the church. Multiply your talents and be ready to show a good return when you meet Jesus face to face. On that day, the only thing that will matter is what you did with what He gave you!
What role can the church play in the lives of single adults who have a desire for marriage and family?
I believe most Christian singles would value their pastors and married couples in their churches introducing them to godly prospective mates, rather than feeling the need to resort to such options as going online and wading through a pool of strangers.
I know many marriages that started with a simple observation made from a married person to a single man: “Have you ever considered [insert name here]? I’ve observed your friendship with her and see many qualities in her that could make her an excellent wife for you.” I call that the Foot-In-The-Small-Of-The-Back Ministry and I commend it to married people everywhere! I can assure them their efforts would be received with much gratitude.
Now we’d love to hear from you. Which of Carolyn’s five points was most encouraging to you in regard to your longing to be a wife and mother? Have you received (or given) any “foot-in-the-small-of-the-back ministry”? If so, how did it turn out?
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